Camp Counselor

Hawthorne Valley is seeking creative, energetic, mindful individuals to join our team of counselors for our Farm & Arts Summer Camps!

We offer both day and overnight camps for children ages 8-16. Summer camp counselors will guide campers through hands-on, nature-based activities while living on our 900-acre organic, diversified Biodynamic® farm. A typical day with campers might be spent feeding farm animals, gardening, crafting, hiking, making music, swimming in our pond, and more. If you love working with children and being outdoors - this could be the perfect summer job for you!

Our camps offer a safe and encouraging environment where children can reconnect with nature, learn new skills, and make lasting friendships. Our camp staff is committed to providing campers with a tech-free, engaging, and fun experience during their stay at the farm. We look for counselors who enjoy working with children, love being in nature, have a positive attitude, and are hardworking.

Working at Hawthorne Valley summer camps is a highly rewarding experience. As a counselor, you will serve as a community builder and role model for children and teens- a job that is both fulfilling and challenging! During staff training and throughout the summer, camp managers and directors will provide you with the tools and training you will need to succeed as a counselor.

Counselors can expect to develop both personally and professionally during your summer with us. If you are invested in the job and bring your best self every day, you will leave Hawthorne Valley with a greater understanding of youth development, regenerative agriculture, and meaningful friendships.

Room & Board at Camp:

We provide housing and all meals for residential camp counselors, and some day camp counselors. Housing varies depending on the role- housing arrangements include rooms in our farmhouse, rustic cabins, and yurts. Please check our website for more details on room and board for specific roles at camp.

The food at Hawthorne Valley sets us apart from most camps. You certainly won’t find any pre-made, frozen products in our kitchen. Our Dining Hall staff prepares farm-fresh delicious meals and snacks from scratch. Our menu features mostly vegetarian fare prepared with Biodynamic and organic ingredients. Most produce comes directly from Hawthorne Valley Farm and the rest is sourced from other organic Hudson Valley growers. Campers and staff eat together family-style, fostering the community-building spirit of the camp.

Our Dining Hall staff can accommodate most dietary restrictions.

Ideal Candidates:

• You enjoy working with children. We are seeking camp staff who first and foremost have an interest in being around kids and teens. Our leadership staff will be there to support you along the way, but it’s essential that you come with the empathy, patience, and judgment it takes to work with children.
• You love to be outdoors. At camp, you will be spending 95% of your time outside. You should be okay with getting your hands dirty, moving a lot, and disconnecting from technology while you are working. Please review specific job descriptions to learn more about the physical requirements of different roles at camp.
• You have a positive and flexible attitude. Camp is a dynamic, exciting environment and moods are contagious! We understand that everyone has tough days, but we generally expect that camp staff bring their enthusiastic, happy, and optimistic attitudes to work when they start each day. This helps us keep camp fun for everyone!
• You are hardworking. Anyone who has ever been a camp counselor can tell you- it’s not an easy job! But it certainly is one of the most rewarding experiences you can pursue. The days are long, the schedules can feel rigid, and adjusting to a different rhythm from your normal life can be challenging. We are looking for folks who are willing to learn and grow during their summer, again, we will support you along the way!
• You have an interest in sustainability, ecology, and/or agriculture. We don’t expect our camp staff to come with any previous farming, gardening, or environmental education experience. However, we do seek counselors who are open to working with farm animals, spending time in the garden, and supporting our sustainability initiatives at camp such as composting and water conservation. This is a farm camp after all!

All Hawthorne Valley Summer Camp staff must be committed to fostering an inclusive, safe, and welcoming environment for both campers and fellow staff members.

About the Area:

Most camp staff enjoy spending their time off exploring nearby towns or hiking in the surrounding area. Whatever your interests are, you'll find lots to do for fun during your time off in the Hudson Valley!

• Hudson, NY (20-minute drive) - Popular Upstate town with unique restaurants, cafes, boutiques, art, live music and events
• Great Barrington, MA (25-minute drive) – Another vibrant town with lots of options for food and shopping
• Catskill Mountains (~1-hour drive) – Awesome hikes and camping
• In the surrounding area near Hawthorne Valley, there are many hiking and bike trails

Dates:

Our summer camp season will run from June 23 - August 3, 2024. Most counselors will be expected to arrive on the farm on June 9th for two weeks of staff training before camp starts.

Priority is given to applicants who can commit for the entirety of the summer season (June 9 - August 3, 2024).

Salary:

The salary range for counselors is $3,200 - $4,600 for the season, depending on skills and qualifications. Housing and all organic meals are provided.

About Hawthorne Valley:

Our integrated learning campus sits on a 900-acre Demeter-certified Biodynamic® farm in Ghent, NY, in the Hudson Valley’s scenic Columbia County. Organized since 1971 as a 501(c)3 nonprofit, our initiatives include: an early childhood through grade 12 Waldorf school; on-farm education programs; a full-line organic/natural foods and grocery store; a Biodynamic creamery and organic bakery; a mobile grocery market; a 300-plus member organic/Biodynamic CSA; social, ecological, and cultural research groups; teacher education programs; arts initiatives and more.

Hawthorne Valley’s mission is to renew soil, society and self by integrating agriculture, education and art.

Hawthorne Valley’s vision is to reconnect people, place, and purpose.

Our mission and vision come to life through our work which includes:

• Integrative Learning: Fostering joy of learning through Waldorf-based, hands-on education geared toward developing the whole person – head, heart, and hands.
• Biodynamic Agriculture: Cultivating and distributing high-quality Biodynamic food from field to fork.
• Compassionate Commerce: Conducting business in a way that prioritizes the welfare of the people, animals, and Earth at the heart of our work.
• Exploration: Supporting wild nature and resilient agriculture, thoughtfully exploring our economic and cultural life, and fostering connection through original research and outreach.
• Expressive Beauty: Nurturing artistic expression in our lives and work.
• Collaboration: Providing a laboratory of collaborative learning and research where we partner to address some of today’s most pressing concerns such as climate change, educating creative and resilient children, supporting biodiversity, and rebuilding healthy and fair food systems.

Learn More:

To learn more about Hawthorne Valley Farm Camp and our summer job opportunities for the 2024 camp season, please visit our website.

At Hawthorne Valley, we value and strive for social and cultural renewal in our work. We believe that cultivating an environment where everyone can be – and become – the truest expression of their humanity is essential for individual, organizational, and societal health. We know that a diverse community- where everyone feels safe and is valued as they are- is a strong community. Hawthorne Valley is committed to creating a diverse coworker body, and we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. 

We strongly encourage applicants of diverse backgrounds, cultures, genders, experiences, abilities, and perspectives to apply.